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New Web Tool Provides Fully Configured Professional Phone Service

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New Web Tool From Virtual PBX® Provides Fully Configured Professional Phone Service In Minutes

company also introduces new google gadget to make service easy to manage

SAN JOSE, CALIF. (October 14, 2008) – VirtualPBX, the inventor and leading supplier of hosted business phone services, today announced two new Web-based tools that make it quick and easy for anyone who owns a phone to set up, configure and use a professional full-featured business phone system.

The company’s new Configuration Wizard allows businesses of any size to easily customize and configure their phone systems in just a few minutes, in contrast to competitive offerings that can take an hour or more. Virtual PBX’s new Google Gadget lets employees switch call routing between their desk, mobile or home phone instantly from within Google’s popular iGoogle framework. Both tools are available now from virtualpbx.com at no additional cost to both new and existing Virtual PBX clients.

“With Virtual PBX, you can go from no service to a fully customizable, professional business phone presence in about five minutes,” said Paul Hammond, CEO of Virtual PBX. “Anyone with a cell phone or traditional landline can quickly create and easily update a complete phone system that is tailored to their specific business needs. Our clients don’t need to be telecom professionals to have a great phone system. The Configuration Wizard is a clear industry breakthrough – no one else can deliver this level of customization in such a quick, easy-to-use manner.”

A hosted PBX service provides customers with advanced phone answering and call routing features without the upfront expense of purchasing their own PBX hardware or the added costs of installation, ongoing maintenance and support. Virtual PBX was the first company to bring this service to market, which is ideal for small firms, companies with a distributed workforce and those that want toll-free number services for busy call centers.

Irvine, California-based Flare International has been a Virtual PBX customer since 2002. The firm assists small and mid-sized Swiss companies with establishing a business presence in the United States. “As part of our service, we create a Virtual PBX system for many of our customers,” said Alex Bickel, president of Flare International. “I recently used the pre-release version of the Configuration Wizard to update some account settings and was impressed by how easy it is to use.”

zero to phone system in five minutes: the configuration wizard

The Virtual PBX Configuration Wizard allows businesses to tailor their Virtual PBX service by following simple steps in a secure Web application. Most hosted phone services allow quick online setup, including Virtual PBX. Web signup, however, just provides clients with a phone number and a “bare bones” system. Businesses still have to establish extensions for each employee, configure routing across departments and set menu options for callers, such as routing to “sales,” “support,” the operator or a company directory. They’ll also need to record an automated greeting to guide callers through the menu options. Each of these items typically involves multiple steps, and doing all of it can require hours of reading, trial and error, and specialized knowledge.

Enter the Configuration Wizard, which steps clients through this kind of customization in minutes. Clients can enter employee names and phone numbers all at once in a simple table. Another step sets up departmental routing. Point-and-click selections set menu options. The Configuration Wizard then rolls all of this together to suggest a custom “virtual attendant” greeting that can be accepted as is or modified before it is automatically added to the system. Instead of hours, most clients finish in about five to 10 minutes.

Existing clients can also use Virtual PBX’s Configuration Wizard to update their systems as business needs change. All of the same functions are available, and users can simply choose what to keep and what to change. There is no need to pay for specialized support, maintenance personnel or additional training. Clients who want added help can simply call the company’s support team for personalized care.

convenient access: the google gadget

The new Google Gadget can be used with the Google Desktop or as an iGoogle plug-in. Both offer a convenient way for Virtual PBX users to manage their extensions without the need to log into their system through the standard Virtual PBX login screen.

The Gadget provides access to the most often-used areas of the system. For example, users can switch routing between their desk phone, cell phone, home phone or any other phone where they want to receive calls. Or they can simply change which phone will ring first. Users going on a break or into a meeting can set their extension to “do not disturb” mode, and calls will automatically be routed to other agents or to voicemail.

Every Virtual PBX system can also be configured with TrueACD™ queuing that routes calls to the “next available agent” instead of to a single extension. The new Gadget allows users to log in or out of any queue as needed, and Virtual PBX’s intelligent queuing system automatically adjusts routing so that managers don’t have to constantly enter or delete phone numbers into routing tables, as with other systems. With TrueACD, callers don’t sit on hold while a number is tried for an employee who isn’t working.

about virtual pbx

Virtual PBX believes you never get a second chance to make a good first impression – especially when it comes to serving your customers. Our hosted PBX phone service gives small and growing businesses a professional, fully automated call answering and routing solution that can be up and running in a matter of minutes. Forget the hassles and costs of buying and maintaining your own PBX hardware. With Virtual PBX, your employees, whether in one location or far-flung, can focus on serving your customers while we provide the advanced features and responsiveness that give you a competitive edge. We also offer a backup phone service to ensure your business stays up and running should disaster strike. For more information on how your business can benefit from our innovation and passionate commitment to great customer service, visit us on the Web at virtualpbx.com.